I figure I might as well get this off my chest. Everyone is arguing the california law that wants to be passed. Some for, some against. I live in Canada, and it affects me indirectly. However I just thought I should express my opinion in how I understand the passing of this law will affect all of us.
I guess first off I want to say it will hurt the industry, maybe not right away, but the industry will see a larger drop in sales. How you might ask. Well if the law passes it makes it illegal to sell a game to an underage person for what the game is rated. This is not law, but it is best practice, or at least should be now. There is a bigger change that most people miss when they read what the changes are when the law passes. This is what will affect all of us.
They want the stores out there for example: WALMART, TARGET, GAMESTOP, or BEST BUY to have a room for selling the games. It equates to a porn store basically. If you sell material over the age of 17, or 18, Mature rated, you need the material covered, or closed off. This means that thes big stores need to build a room, or close off a small part of the store so they can sell Mature rated games, possibly Teen, and up.
This will hurt sales after day one, if there is no launch special. Midnight opening for a game could still work without having you go into the "backroom" if you restrict it to anyone over the age of 18 allowed in the store after midnight for the launch. After that you have to go to the covered, or closed room to get your games. This makes people feel a little uncomfortable, having to go into, or request a mature game from behind a black sceen to purchase. Like it's a "Dirty" deal. Porn is what this really equates too. Gamestop can not have any commercials for the big Mature games coming out, all you will see is the Everyone games being advertised in the front window. Thsi law also wants to make it illegal to advertise openly the new mature rated game coming out to the public on the street or in the store.
Now granted the majority of people purchasing the games are over 18, but the parents that are still uneducated will never step foot in the video game area, if it blacked out, a room off to the side, or anything to that effect, as it would "Set a bad example" to the kids. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Gamestop may stop carrying the games, or will have to conform to this law in the 6 states they want it passed in. If it's in these 6 states, as a chainwide, and world wide store, it will pass for all stores. They will implement what they "Feel" is best, and implement the change to all stores.
In no way is this exactly what can happen, but I have read the proposal through twice, and this is what they want if passed. It may happen it may not. I for one do not want to have to walk into a almost "Porn" like shop for the next Halo, Killzone, or Resident Evil game.
This is my opinion upon how I undertand the proposed law. Please take a minute, and discuss.